BLOG: Edsall Ready To Lead Maryland To New Heights

COLLEGE PARK, MD - JANUARY 3: Randy Edsall speaks as he is introduced as the University of Maryland Terps new head football coach during a press conference on January 3, 2011 at the Byrd Stadium in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

The Randy Edsall era has begun at Maryland and he couldn’t be more excited. With college football season a month away, the new head coach in College Park is ready for action. I had the pleasure of talking to the coach this week at Sports Legends Museum and it was pretty obvious to everyone in attendance that Edsall has high hopes for Maryland football.

Edsall, from Glen Rock, Pa., replaced the fired Ralph Friedgen in January. In replacing the two-time ACC Coach of the Year, Edsall has some big shoes to fill and he knows it. He has respect for what Friedgen accomplished and his plans are to take the program to a higher level. Winning a national championship at Maryland is a realistic goal, according to Edsall.

After Friedgen was forced out, a lot of fans were hoping that Maryland AD Kevin Anderson would make some noise by hiring a splashy name like former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. Anderson, however, put his faith in the old-school style of Edsall. After building UConn into Big East champs, Edsall comes to Maryland with the hopes of making a Terps football game a must-see event.

With ACC Rookie of the Year Danny O’Brien at QB and All-America candidate Kenny Tate at LB, Edsall has some talent to work with. But Maryland is far from competing for a national title. Edsall has to do some hard work to recruit the talent necessary to achieve that goal.